New Glasshoughton southern link road gets go-ahead

7 February 2019

Plans to build a new, 1.2km Glasshoughton Southern Link Road have been given the go-ahead today's meeting of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee heard.

Alternative route

The new, £6 million road will extend from Whistler Drive and link with Flass Lane and the M62. It will provide an alternative route around the Glasshoughton Leisure and Retail area to reduce local congestion, Funded through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund, it will include a segregated cycle route. It will also make local bus journeys more reliable, encouraging more active travel and public transport use.

The West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund is supported through the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership Growth Deal - a £1 billion package of Government investment delivered in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority to accelerate growth and create jobs across Leeds City Region.

Plans to progress the scheme were approved through the Combined Authority's delegated decision process.

Cllr Peter Box, Wakefield Council leader and Chair of the West Yorkshire Combined Authority Investment Committee said: "This new link road will underpin ongoing economic growth in Glasshoughton and a resurgent Castleford as well as making possible the construction of new, much-needed housing."

"And, like our other West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund projects such as the Wakefield Eastern Relief Road and the Kirkgate scheme in Wakefield city centre, it will contribute to improving local air quality by reducing congestion and making local bus services more reliable and attractive to use."

High quality employment development

The new Glasshoughton Southern Link Road will help create the conditions for high quality employment development, the report to today's meeting says. It will speed up slow peak-time journeys making the highway network more efficient and improve safety as well as addressing environmental issues.

Access to existing employment sites and for potential housing growth will be improved by the new road, which has been designed in house by Wakefield Council. Planning consent for the scheme was granted in November 2018.

Regeneration

Other Wakefield District schemes that have benefited from West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund support are the £33 million Wakefield Eastern Relief Road and the £6 million Wakefield Kirkgate regeneration scheme. The Eastern Relief Road is making possible the construction of around 2,500 new homes at the City Fields, along with leisure, retail and business space, a new primary school, health facilities and parkland.

Additionally 150 new, free park and ride spaces have been created at South Elmsall and Fitzwilliam rail stations through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund.